The Fire This Time (2002)

"The Fire This Time" is an audiodocumentary about the 1990-91 Gulf War on Iraq.

In April 1999 Grant Wakefield and Miriam Ryle travelled to Iraq intending to update Ryle's 1994 documentary "Voices From Iraq." They shot footage of the life in and around Baghdad, and filmed several interviews (including one with the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Hans Von Sponeck). On their return they offered the unedited footage to BBC and Channel 4. It was refused. Upon this, Grant Wakefield searched for another way to share the collected material with the public and decided to make an audio CD. The documentary tells the story of Iraq, and its appointed role in the geopolitics of the West, from the colonial times at the beginning of the 20th century, till the period of the embargo at the end of the nineties.

The audio project consists of two CDs. The first CD is the actual audiodocumentary. The story is narrated by Grant Wakefield, and complimented by a collage of samples from the collected footage, interviews, newsbroadcasts, and official (government and military) statements. The music was provided by various electronical artists, and Grant Wakefield mixed his narrative over it. The second CD is the instrumental version of the songs used for the first disc. Almost all songs are previously unreleased (the exeptions are listed below).